Moving cellular communication system operative in an emergency mode

ABSTRACT

(ii) emergency mode, including, in response to an emergency event, finding new networks to connect to.

REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed from:

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/451,344 “A moving cellularcommunication system operative in an emergency mode”, filed 10 Mar. 2011

Israel Patent Application No. 218046, “A multi-directional relayarchitecture and apparatus and methods of operation useful inconjunction therewith”, filed 12 Feb. 2012.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/451,166 “Cellular communicationsystem utilizing upgraded moving relays”

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/451,339 “An IP based cellularcommunication system utilizing extended tunnels”.

FIELD

The field relates to architecture and data transmission methods for usein hierarchal cellular networks.

BACKGROUND FOR THIS DISCLOSURE

Multi-layer hierarchical dynamic cellular networks pose difficulties fortraffic flow and management.

A classical cellular network includes or consists of core segment andRadio Access Network (RAN). The core segment comprises at least a IPconnectivity gateway and mobility management function. The Radio AccessNetwork (RAN) comprised base stations (BS) and mobile stations (MS).Each of the mobile stations is typically connected to one of the BaseStations (FIG. 2). The RAN may also include relays.

A hierarchal cellular network (FIG. 1) may comprise a conventionalcellular network, however in addition the Radio Access Network (RAN)segment enables direct connection between Base Stations/Relays so thatone Base Station/Relay is capable of relaying the traffic of the otherBase Stations/Relays to the core segment or to other BaseStations/Relays in a higher layer, which is connected to the coresegment.

Multi-layer hierarchical dynamic cellular networks pose difficulties forrouting, traffic flow and management (e.g. the multi protocol-layershandling). These difficulties may occur since the base LTE architecture,protocols and core elements do not support this type of networktopology.

The disclosures of all publications and patent documents mentioned inthe specification, and of the publications and patent documents citedtherein directly or indirectly, are hereby incorporated by reference.

SUMMARY

Certain embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter seek toprovide a moving cellular communication system operative in an emergencymode.

In accordance with an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter,there is provided a moving cellular communication system comprising atleast one moving relay including at least one base station functionalityand at least one mobile station functionality and a radio manager, allco-located, at least one emergency moving relay from among the movingrelays further including a simulated stationary network that includes asimulated IP connectivity gateway operative to communicate with asimulated mobility management entity; the simulated stationary networksimulates the operation of a stationary network; the emergency movingrelay being a root of a sub tree that includes at least one moving relayand at least one mobile station, and is configured to utilize its mobilestation functionality, base station functionality and radio manager foroperating in at least the following modes of operations:

(i) normal mode of operation wherein the emergency moving relaycommunicates with other relays in the network and with the stationarynetwork;

(ii) in response to an emergency event, operating in an emergency modeof operation, including

-   -   a. communicating to a designated mobile station in the sub-tree        each message that was received from a moving relay or a mobile        station in the sub-tree and the message having an IP address of        the designated mobile station; or    -   b. communicating to the simulated stationary network each        message that was received from a moving relay or a mobile        station in the sub-tree and having an IP address that does not        match any mobile station in the sub-tree.

In accordance with an embodiment of the presently disclosed subjectmatter, there is further provided a system, wherein the simulatedstationary network further includes simulated at least one applicationhaving a respective application IP address, and wherein the operating inan emergency mode of operation, further includes communicating to adesignated application in the simulated network each message that wasreceived from a moving relay or a mobile station in the sub-tree and themessage having an IP address of the designated application.

In accordance with an embodiment of the presently disclosed subjectmatter, there is further provided a system, wherein at least one of themoving relays being an upgraded moving relay.

In accordance with an embodiment of the presently disclosed subjectmatter, there is further provided a system, wherein the simulatedstationary network further includes a simulated router.

In accordance with an embodiment of the presently disclosed subjectmatter, there is further provided a system, wherein the emergency eventincludes detecting disconnection of the emergency relay from thestationary network.

In accordance with an embodiment of the presently disclosed subjectmatter, there is further provided a system, further comprising, inresponse to undo emergency event, the emergency relay is configured torevert to operate in accordance with the normal mode.

In accordance with an embodiment of the presently disclosed subjectmatter, there is further provided a relay station that comprises astandard base station and several mobile handsets that serve as a mobilebackhauling link.

Also provided is a moving cellular communication system forming part ofa cellular communication network having a core element may be provided,according to certain embodiments. The system may include at least oneemergency moving relay including at least one base station functionalityserving at least one mobile station; at least one mobile stationfunctionality; and a relay resource manager, all co-located. Typically,the relay resource manager includes a core functionality operative,selectably, to take over at least one core function performed by saidcore element, for said at least one mobile station served by said basestation functionality separation of an entire group of moving relaysfrom a larger group of moving relays may be provided, whereby each ofthe two separate groups has its own core element/functionality.

According to some embodiments, the relay resource manager's corefunctionality takes over from the original core before the impending anddetected emergency period or difficult period. According to otherembodiments, takeover occurs after disconnection has occurred e.g. ifdisconnection is impossible to predict. Disconnection typically includesany situation in which two relays or groups of relays or a static basestation and relay that were part of the same network can no longercommunicate between them. The relay resource manager monitors thesituation, typically including all messages, and when the relay resourcemanager detects disconnection between the relay and its parent ittypically “takes over” from the original core rapidly enough so minimalinterruption to communication is felt.

The relay resource manager's core functionality, after the emergency,hands back the core function/s performed during the emergency, to theoriginal core. The handover process is also termed herein fusion orrecombination or reconnection. This occurs when the two relays or groupof relays or static base station and relays that were disconnected arenow in a new situation which again enables them to have a communicationlink between them.

As described above, each emergency relay typically includes thefollowing elements: mobile station functionality, base stationfunctionality, relay resource manager and core functionality which ispart of the relay resource manager. In normal mode, e.g. when thisemergency relay is part of (and is not disconnected from) a hierarchicalmulti-hop relay cellular network, the emergency relay acts as a normalrelay, e.g. uses its mobile station functionality for providing at leastone backhauling link, its base station functionality for providing atleast one access link with served mobile station s and its relayresource manager for normal relay internal operations such as but notlimited to some or all of: encapsulation, routing, QOS management, loadhandling, security, and radio resource management.

In an event of emergency e.g. when said emergency relay is disconnectedfrom the hierarchical multi-hop relay cellular network, the corefunctionality of the relay is used to serve the emergency relay mobilestation s, the mobile station functionalities that are under the relaytopology tree (e.g. are descendants of the emergency relay) and theother mobile station's served by base station functionalities that areunder the relay topology tree (e.g. are descendants of the emergencyrelay), instead of the above each being served by the previously usedcore clement of the hierarchical multi-hop relay cellular network. Inaddition, in an event of emergency, the mobile station functionality istypically no longer used for the hackhauling link as this no longerexists due to the disconnections. Instead, the mobile stationfunctionality may optionally be active in finding new networks toconnect to (to “fuse” with).

Typically, mobility, policy, QoS, loads, security and billing, and othercore functions change once the core becomes mobile and most or all ofthe core elements performing these functions may do so with adaptations.first, the core, once mobile, typically handles disconnections andreconnections more often that a static core does second, a core, inorder to become mobile, typically needs to handle a mass transfer ofmobile station s and base stations (e.g. relays) from one corefunctionality or element to an other core functionality, substantiallysimultaneously. In addition, for example, the billing service istypically distributed between the two separate groups of relays whichhas formed, each group collecting its own billing records, such that incase of fusion these records are typically combined or shared.

Typically, all core entities of the core functionality have two modes ofoperation, as opposed to the single mode of operation of a static core:a regular mode, when the core is used to serve all mobile station s ofits relay and all other mobile station s and mobile station (MS)Functionalities in the topology tree under it; and a shadow mode, whenthe core is not actually used to serve all mobile stations of its relayand all other mobile station (MS)s and mobile station (MS)Functionalities in the topology tree under the core however is typicallystill active to allow the potentially mobile core to take over smoothlywhen disconnection from the static core occurs. This may be done byfrequently updating the local core functionality with all theinformation it may need during disconnection, such as but not limited tosome or all of: list of mobile station (MS)s served by the emergencyrelay, all other mobile station (MS)s and mobile station (MS)Functionalities in the topology tree under the emergency relay, all BASEstation functionality in the topology tree under the emergency relay,all IP addresses of all these. The above information may be obtainedfrom the active core located in the tree root.

The core functionality's take-over of the at least one core functionfrom the core element typically includes taking over at least onemobility-management function e.g. LTE MME function/s, from the staticcore element. It is appreciated that take-over and hand-back ofmobility-management aspects of the core element's functioning have, forclarity, been described in the general context of LTE's MME (thisprocess may includes for example the process in LTE that is called“inter-MME handover” in which one mobile station (MS) is handed overfrom one MME to other MME), which is but one example of mobilitymanagement apparatus. It is appreciated that take-over and hand-back ofmobility-management aspects of the core element's functioning asdescribed herein, may, mutatis mutandis, be applied to mobilitymanagement apparatus other than LTE's MME.

The core functionality's take-over of the at least one core functionfrom the core element typically includes taking over at least onepolicy-management and control function. It is appreciated that take-overand hand-back of policy-management aspects of the core element'sfunctioning have, for clarity, been described in the general context ofLTE's HSS, which is but one example of policy management apparatus. Itis appreciated that take-over and hand-back of policy-management aspectsof the core element's functioning as described herein, may, mutatismutandis, be applied to policy management apparatus other than LTE'sHSS.

The following abbreviations are employed herein:

SNR=Signal to Noise Ratio

SNIR=Signal to Noise and Interference Ratio

SIR Signal to Interference Ratio

BER=Bir Error Rate

BLER=BLock Error Rate

PER=Packet Error Rate

Eb/No=Energy of Bit over Noise spectral density

Ec/No=Energy of Carrier (symbol) over Noise spectral density

Ec/Io=Energy of Carrier (symbol) over Interference spectral density

RSSI=Received Signal Strength Indication (or as per LTE standard)

RSRP=as per LIE standard.

RSRQ=as per LTE standard.

Other embodiments of the present invention include:

Embodiment 1. A moving cellular communication system forming part of acellular communication network having a core element, the systemcomprising:

at least one emergency moving relay including:

at least one base station functionality serving at least one mobilestation;

at least one mobile station functionality providing at least onebackhauling link toward the core element; and

a relay resource manager operative to manage at least one resourcepertaining to at least one of the base station functionality and mobilestation functionality,

all co-located,

wherein the relay resource manager includes a core functionalityoperative, selectably, to take over at least one core function performedby said core clement, for said at least one mobile station served bysaid base station functionality.

Embodiment 2. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality takes over said functionality in real time and withoutdisrupting ongoing communication over the network.

Embodiment 3. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality is also operative, selectably, to hand back said at leastone functionality taken over from said core element.

Embodiment 4. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein said corefunctionality comprises connecting between at least a pair of mobilestations characterized in that at least one core function pertaining tosaid pair which was previously performed at the core element is nowperformed by the core functionality of the relay resource manager.

Embodiment 5. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein said corefunctionality comprises connecting between:

at least one mobile station characterized in that the core elementpreviously performed at last one core function for the mobile stationwhereas the core functionality of the relay resource manager nowperforms said core function for the mobile station; and

at least one additional mobile station characterized in that the coreelement still performs said at last one core function for the additionalmobile station's core.

Embodiment 6. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein said at leastone core function comprises connecting between at least one mobilestation characterized in that the core element previously served as themobile station's core whereas the core functionality of the relayresource manager now serves as the mobile station's at least one corefunction and a server.

Embodiment 7. The system according to Embodiment 6 wherein said serverincludes one of the following types of servers: internet server,internet gateway, terrestrial communication network server, terrestrialcommunication network gateway, video server, gaming server, voice callsserver, SIP server, mapping server.

Embodiment 8. The system according to Embodiment 3 wherein the corefunctionality hands back said at least one core function withoutdisrupting ongoing communication over the network.

Embodiment 9. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality's take-over of the at least one core function from thecore element includes taking over at least one mobility-managementfunction in the core element's functioning.

Embodiment 10. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality's take-over of the at least one core function from thecore element includes taking over at least one policy- management andcontrol function in the core element's functioning.

Embodiment 11. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality's take-over of the at least one core function from thecore element includes taking over at least one QoS-management functionof the core element's functioning.

Embodiment 12. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality's take-over of the at least one core function from thecore element includes taking over at least one load-management functionof the core element's functioning.

Embodiment 13. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality's take-over of the at least one core function from thecore element includes taking over at least one billing-managementfunction of the core element's functioning.

Embodiment 14. The system according to Embodiment 3 or 8 wherein thecore functionality's hand-back of the at least one core function fromthe core element includes handing back at least one mobility-managementfunction of the core element's functioning.

Embodiment 15. The system according to Embodiment 3 or 8 wherein thecore functionality's hand-back of the at least one core function fromthe core element includes handing back at least one policy-managementand control function of the core element's functioning.

Embodiment 16. The system according to Embodiment 3 or 8 wherein thecore functionality's hand-back of the at least one core function fromthe core element includes handing back at least one QoS-managementfunction of the core element's functioning.

Embodiment 17. The system according to Embodiment 3 or 8 wherein thecore functionality's hand-back of the at least one core function fromthe core element includes handing back at least one load-managementfunction of the core element's functioning.

Embodiment 18. The system according to Embodiment 3 or 8 wherein thecore functionality's hand-back of the at least one core function fromthe core element includes handing back at least one billing-managementfunction of the core element's functioning.

Embodiment 19. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality includes a simulated stationary network having a simulatedIP connectivity gateway operative to communicate with a simulatedmobility management entity and said simulated stationary networksimulates the operation of a stationary network.

Embodiment 20. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein saidemergency moving relay is a root of a sub tree that includes at leastone moving relay and at least one mobile station, and is configured forutilizing its mobile station functionality, base station functionalityand radio manager for operating in at least the following modes ofoperations:

i. normal mode of operation wherein the emergency moving relaycommunicating with other relays in the network and with the stationarynetwork;

ii. in response to an emergency event, operating in an emergency mode ofoperation, including

-   -   a. communicating to a designated mobile station in the sub-tree        each message that was received from a moving relay or a mobile        station in said sub-tree and said message having an IP address        of the designated mobile station; or    -   b. communicating to said core functionality each message that        was received from a moving relay or a mobile station in said        sub-tree and having an IP address that does not match any mobile        station in the sub-tree.

Embodiment 21. The system according to Embodiment 1 and also comprisingat least one moving relay other than said emergency moving relay.

Embodiment 22. The system according to Embodiment 20, wherein said corefunctionality further including simulated at least one applicationhaving respective application IP address, and wherein said operating inan emergency mode of operation, further including

communicating to a designated application in said core functionalityeach message that was received from a moving relay or a mobile stationin said sub-tree and said message having an IP address of the designatedapplication.

Embodiment 23. The system according to Embodiment 20, wherein saidemergency event includes a detected disconnection of the emergency relayfrom other relay.

Embodiment 24. The system according to Embodiment 1, wherein said corefunctionality further includes a simulated router.

Embodiment 25. The system according to Embodiment 20, wherein saidemergency event includes a detected disconnection of the emergency relayfrom the stationary network.

Embodiment 26. The system according to Embodiment 20, wherein saidemergency relay is configured to revert to operate in accordance withsaid normal mode, upon termination of an emergency event.

Embodiment 27. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein said atleast one emergency moving relay comprises a plurality of at least oneemergency moving relays to accommodate for a situation of separation ofa subset of moving relays from a larger group of moving relaysnecessitating each of the two separate groups is having its coreelement/functionality.

Embodiment 28. An emergency communication method for a moving cellularcommunication system forming part of a cellular communication networkhaving a core element, the method comprising:

providing at least one emergency moving relay including: at least onebase station functionality serving at least one mobile station; at leastone mobile station functionality providing at least one backhauling linktoward the core element; and a relay resource manager operative tomanage at least one resource pertaining to at least one of the basestation functionality and mobile station functionality, all co-located;and

providing the relay resource manager with a core functionalityoperative, selectably, to take over at least one core function performedby said core clement, for said at least one mobile station served bysaid base station functionality.

Embodiment 29. The method according to Embodiment 28 wherein the coreelement serves a core of a static cellular communication network.

Embodiment 30. The method according to Embodiment 28 wherein the coreelement serves a core of a moving cellular communication network.

Embodiment 31. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein said mobilestation comprises a mobile station functionality of another relay.

Embodiment 32. The system according to embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality takes over said functionality while backhauling link isactive.

Embodiment 33. The system according to embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality takes over said functionality while said at least onemobile station functionality is connected to one of: another relay basestation functionality; and a static base station.

Embodiment 34. The system according to Embodiment 32 wherein said takingover is activated [as a result of/in response to/due to] measurementscollected by one of said at least one mobile station functionality orsaid at least one base station functionality.

Embodiment 35. The system according to Embodiment 34 wherein saidmeasurements includes link quality parameters.

Embodiment 36. The system according to Embodiment 34 wherein saidmeasurements includes one of: SNR, SNIR, SIR, BER, BLER, PER, Eb/No,Ec/No, Ec/Io, RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ.

Embodiment 37. The system according to any of embodiments 1-3 or 31,wherein the core functionality takes over said functionality whilebackhauling link is not active.

Embodiment 38. The system according to Embodiment 8 wherein said handingback is done in response to mobile station functionality connected toone of: other relay base station functionality or static base station.

Embodiment 39. The system according to Embodiment 9 wherein the at leastone mobility-management function comprises at least one LTE MMEfunction.

Embodiment 40. The system according to Embodiment 1 wherein the corefunctionality's take-over of the at least one core function from thecore element includes taking over at least one gateway function of thecore element's functioning.

Embodiment 41. The system according to Embodiment 40 wherein saidgateway function comprises at least one of an LTE PDN-GW function and aServing-GW function.

Embodiment 42. The system according to any of embodiments 1-3 or 31where said at least one mobile station functionality is not connected toanother relay base station functionality and is not connected to astatic base station.

The subject matter of the invention further contemplates a counterpartmethod and corresponding embodiments, mutatis mutandis.

The following terms may be construed either in accordance with anydefinition thereof appearing in the prior art literature or inaccordance with the specification, or as follows:

access link: a bi-directional link between a relay node (RN) basestation functionality and a mobile station (MS) served thereby orbetween a base station and a mobile station served thereby. It typicallyhas an uplink portion and a downlink portion, both uni-directional.

Backhaul data: data being transferred, typically bi-directionally, overat least one backhauling link.

Backhauling link: bi-directional link other than an access link e.g.link between relays in adjacent levels or link between relay and staticbase station or link between relays and relay proxy or link between basestation functionality or static base station or relay proxy and core.More generally, a backhauling link hi-directionally links distributedsites to each other or links access points e.g. base stations and a morecentralized point e.g. a core. Typically a backhauling link has anuplink portion and a downlink portion, both uni-directional.

base station: one of a plurality of stationary or mobile nodes in acellular communication network which are sufficiently denselydistributed over a served area such that almost all mobile communicationdevices served by the network can almost always communicate with oneanother or with a terrestrial network through those nodes, typicallyincluding allowing users of such devices to converse and/or exchangedigital information between them or with a terrestrial network, viacommunication paths defined between respective pairs of base stationsand mobile communication devices.

base station functionality: functionality, typically softwareimplemented, residing on a relay which communicates with an antenna,transmitter and receiver to enable the relay to function as a basestation, e.g. to converse and/or exchange digital information betweenthem or with a terrestrial network, via communication paths definedbetween respective pairs of base stations and mobile communicationdevices.

bi-directional link: a link between levels of a hierarchicalcommunication network which includes both an uplink and a downlink.

cell: base station.

core: server in a cellular communication system that performs some orall of the following functions: (1) connects between mobile station(MS)s that are attached to the same core; and/or (2) connects betweenmobile station (MS)s that are attached to one core with mobile station(MS)s that are attached to a different core; and/or (3) connects mobilestation (MS)s attached to the core to other servers such as an Internetserver, terrestrial communication network servers, video servers, gamingservers (not shown), (4) managing mobility of the mobile stations, (5)managing quality of service for the mobile stations, (6) managing andcontrolling policies and billing of the mobile stations, (7) managingsecurity aspects of the network (e.g. authentication, integrity,encryption).

Core Network: synonym for “core” or core plus network linked thereto, orcore elements performing some or all of the core functions as describedherein plus the network that interconnects all core elements/functions.

Ctrl or Control: e.g. as per LTE protocol. donor: serving relationshipe.g. a base station serving e.g. a relay node.

Downlink (DL): a uni-directional portion of a link e.g. backhauling oraccess link from a relay's base station functionality or static basestation to a mobile station functionality or mobile station.

DL UE or Downlink (DL) UE: downlink to a user entity via a sequence ofat least one relay

down-stream (DS): flow of data from a higher point at the topology(closer to the core) to a lower point at the topology (further from thecore).

eNB: base station, or base station functionality e.g. in a relay, whichuses LTE protocol. Also termed herein “LTE base station”.

GTP: a group of IP-based communications protocols used to carry GeneralPacket Radio Service (GPRS) within GSM, UMTS and LTE networks.

GTP bearer: A bearer using a GTP protocol.

GTP tunnel: A tunnel using a GTP protocol.

Link: Telecommunications or radio link between nodes of a communicationnetwork. It is appreciated that a portion, typically uni-directional, ofa typically bi-directional link is also sometimes termed a link. Theremay be one or more channels in a link, e.g. in LTE all the followingchannels are uplinks: PUCCH, PUSCH, PRACH.

Mobile station or mobile communication device: a portable electronicdevice which communicates with other such devices or with a terrestrialnetwork via a cellular communication network, typically includingallowing users of such devices to converse and/or exchange digitalinformation between them. The device may even comprise a dongleconnected to a computer or sensor with no user nearby.

Mobile station functionality: functionality, typically softwareimplemented, residing on a relay which communicates with an antenna,transmitter and receiver to enable the relay to function as a mobilecommunication device. The mobile station functionality typicallyincludes antenna, RF front-end, Modem (communications processor) butdoes not necessarily include an application processor nor appliancessuch as keyboard, screen, microphone, and speaker which serve aconventional mobile station.

Radio bearer, bearer: e.g. as per 3GPP terminology. RE resource block:e.g. as per LTE standard or an adaptation thereof suitable for operationwithin communication standards other than LTE.

relay: a node in the cellular communication network equipped with anantenna, transmitter and receiver and functioning both as a mobilecommunication device and a base station and extending the coverage ofthe base-stations.

Relay link: link or radio segment between a relay node and a donor basestation.

Segment: link.

Subframe: e.g. as per LTE protocol

Trans. Downlink (DL) backhauling: transmit backhauling using downlink.

Tunnel: as per protocols that enables tunneling such as but not limitedto GRE and GPRS.

UE: user entity or mobile station or mobile communication device ormobile station functionality. e.g. in a relay, which uses LTE protocol.Also termed herein “LTE mobile station”.

Uplink (UL): a uni-directional portion of a pair of links e.g. ofbackhauling or access links, from a relay's mobile station functionalityor mobile device to a relay's base station functionality or static basestation.

Uplink backhaul data: data being transferred uni-directionally, overonly the uplink portion of at least one backhauling link, typically froma base station to a core or more generally from an access point to amore centralized point.

upstream (US): flow of data from a lower point in a network topology(i.e. further from the core) to a higher point in a network topology(i.e. closer to the core).

Abbreviations:

TeNb or rBS: base station functionality in relay

SeNB or BS: stationary base station

MS/BS: mobile/base station

MME: mobility management entity

rRM: relay resource manager

SM: Served Mobile i.e. Mobile station

RN: relay node

s/p gw: p-gateway or s-gateway or p-gateway+s-gateway.

tUE, rMS, rue (relay user equipment): mobile station functionality inrelay

Also provided is a computer program comprising computer program codemeans for performing any of the methods shown and described herein whensaid program is run on a computer; and a computer program product,comprising a typically non-transitory computer-usable or -readablemedium or computer readable storage medium, typically tangible, having acomputer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readableprogram code adapted to be executed to implement any or all of themethods shown and described herein. It is appreciated that any or all ofthe computational steps shown and described herein may becomputer-implemented. The operations in accordance with the teachingsherein may be performed by a computer specially constructed for thedesired purposes or by a general purpose computer specially configuredfor the desired purpose by a computer program stored in a typicallynon-transitory computer readable storage medium.

Any suitable processor, display and input means may be used to process,display e.g. on a computer screen or other computer output device,store, and accept information such as information used by or generatedby any of the methods and apparatus shown and described herein; theabove processor, display and input means including computer programs, inaccordance with some or all of the embodiments of the present invention.Any or all functionalities of the invention shown and described herein,such as but not limited to steps of flowcharts, may be performed by aconventional personal computer processor, workstation or otherprogrammable device or computer or electronic computing device orprocessor, either general-purpose or specifically constructed, used forprocessing; a computer display screen and/or printer and/or speaker fordisplaying; machine-readable memory such as optical disks, CDROMs,magnetic-optical discs or other discs; RAMs, ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs,magnetic or optical or other cards, for storing, and keyboard or mousefor accepting. The term “process” as used above is intended to includeany type of computation or manipulation or transformation of datarepresented as physical, e.g. electronic, phenomena which may occur orreside e.g. within registers and/or memories of a computer or processor.The term processor includes a single processing unit or a plurality ofdistributed or remote such units.

The above devices may communicate via any conventional wired or wirelessdigital communication means, e.g. via a wired or cellular telephonenetwork or a computer network such as the Internet.

The apparatus of the present invention may include, according to certainembodiments of the invention, machine readable memory containing orotherwise storing a program of instructions which, when executed by themachine, implements some or all of the apparatus, methods, features andfunctionalities of the invention shown and described herein.Alternatively or in addition, the apparatus of the present invention mayinclude, according to certain embodiments of the invention, a program asabove which may be written in any conventional programming language, andoptionally a machine for executing the program such as but not limitedto a general purpose computer which may optionally be configured oractivated in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Anyof the teachings incorporated herein may wherever suitable operate onsignals representative of physical objects or substances.

The embodiments referred to above, and other embodiments, arc describedin detail in the next section.

Any trademark occurring in the text or drawings is the property of itsowner and occurs herein merely to explain or illustrate one example ofhow an embodiment of the invention may be implemented.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the followingdiscussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specificationdiscussions, utilizing terms such as, “processing”, “computing”,“estimating”, “selecting”, “ranking”, “grading”, “calculating”,“determining”, “generating”, “reassessing”, “classifying”, “generating”,“producing”, “stereo-matching”, “registering”, “detecting”,“associating”, “superimposing”, “obtaining” or the like, refer to theaction and/or processes of a computer or computing system, or processoror similar electronic computing device, that manipulate and/or transformdata represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities within thecomputing system's registers and/or memories, into other data similarlyrepresented as physical quantities within the computing system'smemories, registers or other such information storage, transmission ordisplay devices. The term “computer” should be broadly construed tocover any kind of electronic device with data processing capabilities,including, by way of non-limiting example, personal computers, servers,computing system, communication devices, processors (e.g. digital signalprocessor (DSP), microcontrollers, field programmable gate array (FPGA),application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.) and otherelectronic computing devices.

The present invention may be described, merely for clarity, in terms ofterminology specific to particular programming languages, operatingsystems, browsers, system versions, individual products, and the like.It will be appreciated that this terminology is intended to conveygeneral principles of operation clearly and briefly, by way of example,and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to anyparticular programming language, operating system, browser, systemversion, or individual product.

Elements separately listed herein need not be distinct components andalternatively may be the same structure.

Any suitable input device, such as but not limited to a sensor, may beused to generate or otherwise provide information received by theapparatus and methods shown and described herein. Any suitable outputdevice or display may be used to display or output information generatedby the apparatus and methods shown and described herein. Any suitableprocessor may be employed to compute or generate information asdescribed herein e.g. by providing one or more modules in the processorto perform functionalities described herein. Any suitable computerizeddata storage e.g. computer memory may be used to store informationreceived by or generated by the systems shown and described herein.Functionalities shown and described herein may be divided between aserver computer and a plurality of client computers. These or any othercomputerized components shown and described herein may communicatebetween themselves via a suitable computer network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carriedout in practice, a preferred embodiment will now be described, by way ofnon-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a multi-layer cellular network comprising corenetwork regular radio access network and relayed radio access network;

FIG. 2a is an example of an uplink message going to the stationary coreand stationary base station functionality in case of a normal mode;

FIG. 2b is an example of a downlink message going to the stationary coreand stationary base station functionality in case of a normal mode;

FIG. 3a is an example of communication in normal mode in a single hopscenario with two mobile stations;

FIG. 3b is an example of communication in normal mode in a multi-hopscenario and a single mobile station;

FIG. 4 is a general architecture of emergency moving relay;

FIG. 5a is an example of two mobile stations communication in anemergency mode;

FIG. 5b is an example of two mobile stations communication in an afterundo emergency mode;

FIG. 5c is an example of three mobile stations communicating in anemergency mode in a multi-hop scenario;

FIG. 6 is an example of message sequence when an emergency event isreceived and undo emergency event received; and

FIG. 7 is a simplified block diagram of a possible internal architecturefor the emergency relay's relay resource manager (rRM) of FIGS. 2a -6.

FIG. 8 is a simplified block diagram of a possible internal architecturefor a non-emergency relay's relay resource manager (rRM).

FIG. 9 is a simplified block diagram of a possible internal architecturefor a non-emergency relay's relay resource manager (rRM) having aninternal router service application used for multi-hop encapsulation.

FIG. 10 is a simplified block diagram of a possible internalarchitecture for a emergency relay's relay resource manager (rRM) [742]having an internal router service application [743] used for multi-hopencapsulation. The addition of the router service application [743] tothe rRM enables the emergency relay to effect extended tunnels formulti-hop encapsulation. Router service application [743] can beimplemented as a software application, or alternatively as a hardwarerouter.

FIG. 11 describes an example of the encapsulation delivery steps of dataon the route through relay and network for the case of single relay,according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram explaining encapsulation delivery stepsfor multi-hop relay applications, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

Computational components described and illustrated herein can beimplemented in various forms, for example, as hardware circuits such asbut not limited to custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays or programmablehardware devices such as but not limited to FPGAs, or as softwareprogram code stored on at least one intangible computer readable mediumand executable by at least one processor, or any suitable combinationthereof. A specific functional component may be formed by one particularsequence of software code, or by a plurality of such, which collectivelyact, behave or act as described herein with reference to the functionalcomponent in question. For example, the component may be distributedover several code sequences such as but not limited to objects,procedures, functions, routines and programs and may originate fromseveral computer files which typically operate synergistically.

Data can be stored on one or more intangible computer readable mediastored at one or more different locations, different network nodes ordifferent storage devices at a single node or location.

It is appreciated that any computer data storage technology, includingany type of storage or memory and any type of computer components andrecording media that retain digital data used for computing for aninterval of time, and any type of information retention technology, maybe used to store the various data provided and employed herein. Suitablecomputer data storage or information retention apparatus may include anapparatus which is primary, secondary, tertiary or off-line; which is ofany type or level or amount or category of volatility, differentiation,mutability, accessibility, addressability, capacity, performance andenergy use; and which is based on any suitable technologies such assemiconductor, magnetic, optical, paper and others.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Operation of a cellular communication system that utilizes moving relaysas well as a hierarchical cellular network is described in PCTApplication No. PCT/IL2011/000096 entitled “Cellular communicationsystem with moving base stations and methods and apparatus useful inconjunction therewith” filed on Jan. 27, 2011 published as Published PCTApplication No. WO/2011/092698. The following embodiments inter alia areknown in the art by virtue of being described in the above publication:

Embodiment 1. A moving cellular communication system comprising: aplurality of moving relays each including base station functionality, aradio manager and mobile station functionality, all co-located,

wherein each base station functionality is operative to communicate viaantennae with at least one mobile station thereby to define a firstradio link there between, and wherein each base station functionalityhas a physical connection to its co-located radio manager,

wherein each mobile station functionality communicates via antennae witha unit which has base station functionality thereby to define a secondradio link,

wherein the radio manager in each individual moving relay comprises:

-   -   a radio resource manager; and    -   functionality for exchanging information with radio managers        included in moving relays other than said individual moving        relay,

wherein said information is used by said radio resource manager toselect, for at least one individual mobile station seeking to be served,one of:

-   -   a static base station; and    -   a base station functionality,

to which to connect said individual mobile station in order to providecellular communication services thereto.

Embodiment 2. A system according to embodiment 1 operative inconjunction with a cellular network including a core device, at leastone static base station, and a population of mobile stationscommunicating via antennae with at least one of the base stations,wherein at least one topological change in said system occursdynamically, said topological change comprises a dynamic change in atleast one connection between a moving relay and at least one of a movingrelay and a static base station.

Embodiment 3. A system according to embodiment 2 wherein at least oneradio resource manager locally stores at least some of the informationit uses to make a decision regarding selection of a cellularcommunication service provider for an individual mobile station seekingto be served, even after said decision has been made, thereby togenerate a database co-located with said radio resource manager.

Embodiment 4. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein saidinformation used by said radio resource manager includes informationobtained from its co-located base station functionality.

Embodiment 5. A system according to embodiment 1 or embodiment 4 whereinsaid information used by said radio resource manager includesinformation obtained from its co-located mobile station functionality.

Embodiment 6. A system according to embodiment 5 wherein saidinformation obtained from said co-located mobile station functionalityis derived from at least one measurement of at least one characteristicof said second radio link.

Embodiment 7. A system according to embodiment 6 wherein saidfunctionalities are provided in accordance with a cellular communicationstandard and wherein said information includes information provided bysaid mobile station functionality in accordance with said standard.

Embodiment 8. A system according to embodiment 7 wherein said cellularcommunication standard comprises 3GPP E-UTRAN LTE.

Embodiment 9. A system according to embodiment 8, where the informationincludes at least one of RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ.

Embodiment 10. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein each saidmoving relay and each said mobile station constitutes a cellularcommunication node and wherein said links generate routesinterconnecting said nodes and wherein at least one radio resourcemanager residing at an individual node is operative to compute a routequality parameter characterizing quality of at least one individualroute passing through said individual node, by combining informationpertaining to links along said individual route.

Embodiment 11. A system according to embodiment 10 wherein said radioresource manager operative to compute a route quality parameter combinesinformation pertaining to links along said individual route by computinga minimum from among values characterizing respective qualities of alllinks forming said individual route.

Embodiment 12. A system according to embodiment 10 wherein said systemis operative in conjunction with a cellular network including a coredevice, at least one static base station, and a population of mobilestations communicating via antennae with at least one of the basestations, and wherein said individual route comprises a route connectingsaid individual node to at least one of the static base stations.

Embodiment 13. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein said system isoperative in conjunction with a static network including a core device,at least one static base station, and a population of mobile stationscommunicating via antennae with at least one of the base stations andwherein each individual radio manager that does not have a sufficientlyhigh quality connection to the static network can provide communication,via said individual radio manager's co-located base stationfunctionality, between mobile stations that are connected to saidco-located base station functionality.

Embodiment 14. A system according to embodiment 13 wherein said systemis operative in conjunction with a static network including a coredevice, at least one static base station, and a population of mobilestations communicating via antennae with at least one of the basestations and wherein each radio manager that does not have a connectionto the static network can provide communication, via said individualradio manager's co-located base station functionality, between mobilestations that are connected to said co-located base stationfunctionality.

Embodiment 15. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein at least oneindividual radio manager can provide communication, via at least onebase station functionality linked to said radio manager, between mobilestations that are connected to said at least one base stationfunctionality.

Embodiment 16. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein each resourcemanager is operative to selectably establish communication between atleast one mobile station connected to its co-located base stationfunctionality and at least one mobile station connected to a movingrelay to which said resource manager's co-located mobile stationfunctionality is linked via a route.

Embodiment 17. A system according to embodiment 16 wherein said routeincludes a plurality of links.

Embodiment 18. A system according to embodiment 10 wherein said radioresource manager residing at said individual node computes a pluralityof route quality parameters for a corresponding plurality of routealternatives.

Embodiment 19. A system according to embodiment 18 wherein said radioresource manager provides said plurality of route quality parameters toan individual mobile station connected to the base station functionalityco-located with said radio resource manager.

Embodiment 20. A system according to embodiment 19 wherein saidindividual mobile station is operative, when in a mode in which it isits own decision to which unit having base station functionality it isto be connected, to make said decision based at least in part on saidplurality of route quality parameters.

Embodiment 21. A system according to embodiment 6 wherein saidinformation obtained from said co-located mobile station functionalityincludes said at least one measurement itself.

Embodiment 22. A system according to embodiment 4 wherein saidinformation obtained from said co-located base station functionality isderived from at least one measurement of at least one characteristic ofsaid first radio link.

Embodiment 23. A system according to embodiment 22 wherein saidinformation obtained from said co-located base station functionalityincludes said at least one measurement itself.

Embodiment 24. A system according to embodiment 8 or embodiment 9 wherethe information includes a rsSINR (reference signal SINR) metric.

Embodiment 25. A system according to embodiment 1 in which an individualmobile station is connected to an individual base station functionalityand wherein a decision to transfer said individual mobile station awayfrom said individual base station functionality is made by a resourcemanager co-located with said individual base station functionality.

Embodiment 26. A system according to embodiment 1 and also comprising acellular network including a core device, at least one static basestation, and a population of mobile stations communicating via antennaewith at least one of the base stations.

Embodiment 27. A system according to embodiment 26 and also comprising arelay network manager (DisNetRM) located at a static network coredevice.

Embodiment 28. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein, for at leastone mobile station functionality in at least one individual movingrelay, said unit which has base station functionality comprises a basestation functionality of a moving relay other than said individualmoving relay.

Embodiment 29. A system according to embodiment 1 operative inconjunction with a cellular network including a core device, at leastone static base station, and a population of mobile stationscommunicating via antennae with at least one of the base stations,

wherein, for at least one mobile station functionality in at least oneindividual moving relay, said unit which has base station functionalitycomprises said static base station.

Embodiment 30. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein saidinformation, but for said exchanging, is accessible to only a subset ofsaid radio managers.

Embodiment 31. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein saidinformation comprises link information characterizing at least one ofsaid radio links.

Embodiment 32. A system according to embodiment 28 wherein for themobile station functionality co-located with said moving relay otherthan said individual moving relay, said unit which has base stationfunctionality also comprises a base station functionality of a movingrelay rather than a static base station, thereby to provide multi-hopcapability to said system.

Embodiment 33. A system according to embodiment 27 in which anindividual mobile station is connected to an individual base stationfunctionality and wherein a decision to transfer said individual mobilestation away from said individual base station functionality is madecentrally by said relay network manager (DisNetRM).

Embodiment 34. A system according to embodiment 20 and also comprising acellular network including a core device, at least one static basestation, and a population of mobile stations communicating via antennaewith at least one of the base stations wherein said individual mobilestation decides to establish connection with the unit having basestation functionality which, according to said plurality of routequality parameters, provides said individual mobile station with thebest route to one of the static base stations.

Embodiment 35. A mobile communication network system operative inconjunction with a core network including a core device and at least onestatic base station, the system comprising:

a plurality of base stations; and

a population of mobile stations communicating via antennae with the basestations;

the base stations including at least one moving base station whichcommunicates via antennae with the mobile stations and includes basestation functionality, a first radio manager and mobile stationfunctionality all co-located with the base station functionality,

the base station functionality having a physical back-connection to thefirst radio manager, the first radio manager having a physicalconnection with the mobile station functionality, the mobile stationfunctionality communicating via antennae with at least one selectablestatic base station,

wherein the first radio manager comprises:

-   -   a radio resource manager; and    -   functionality for receiving information from, and sending        information to, other radio managers, respectively co-located        with other moving base stations, and for using the information        to determine whether to reject at least one mobile station        seeking to be served by an individual base station associated        with the individual co-located radio manager,

wherein the information used to determine whether to reject includes atleast one of the following:

-   -   location of said at least one moving base station; and    -   statistics re measurements of link quality.

Embodiment 36. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein saidinformation comprises information regarding qualities of respectiveconnections of respectively co-located radio managers back to the corenetwork is provided by respectively co-located radio managers via aselected one of:

a static base station from among the at least one static base station ofthe core network; and

a moving base station capable of providing service to the individualradio manager's co-located mobile device.

Embodiment 37. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein saidinformation regarding quality of its own connection back to the corenetwork is provided by its own co-located mobile station.

Embodiment 38. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein saidinformation includes information regarding channel quality which otherbase stations arc able to provide mobile stations in the vicinity of theindividual co-located radio manager and which is provided by reportsgenerated by said mobile stations in said vicinity.

Embodiment 39. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein saidinformation regarding quality of service available from its own basestation for mobile stations in the vicinity of the individual co-locatedradio manager is provided by its own co-located mobile station.

Embodiment 40. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein said otherradio manager is operative to compute, for at least one individualmobile station, route comparison information including a plurality ofroutes of base stations via which the individual mobile station cancommunicate with the core network and at least one parametercharacterizing the relative quality of each of said routes and tocommunicate to said individual mobile station information indicative ofsaid route comparison information and wherein said individual mobilestation is operative to select a base station to be connected to, atleast partly based on said information indicative of said routecomparison information.

Embodiment 41. A system according to embodiment 40 wherein saidparameter is based upon a minimum SNR (signal noise ratio) value, oversections which together compose a route, each section having its own SNR(signal noise ratio) value.

Embodiment 42. A system according to embodiment 40 wherein saidparameter characterizing route quality is a combination of measuredqualities of route sections and fluctuations thereof such that routesections with largely fluctuating quality measurements are devalued dueto their unpredictability.

Embodiment 43. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein at least oneindividual co-located radio manager includes a mobile-to-mobile directcommunication facilitation functionality operative to provide directcommunication, not requiring said core network, between a plurality ofmobile devices in said individual radio manager's vicinity.

Embodiment 44. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein said movingbase station observes a silence period during which it refrains fromtransmitting to its own co-located mobile station.

Embodiment 45. A system according to embodiment 44 wherein at least onecharacteristic of said silence period is dynamically determined by themoving base station's co-located radio manager.

Embodiment 46. A system according to embodiment 45 wherein saidcharacteristic comprises a zone in which silence is observed which isdefined over at least one of a frequency band and a time window.

Embodiment 47. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein said networkcomprises a tactical E-UTRAN network.

Embodiment 48. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein if amulti-hop communication route is used, in which a relay R that isconnected to the core network via another relay A, relay R sends amessage to a backhauling relay that R is A's anchor.

Embodiment 49. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein said staticbase station is co-located with said core device.

Embodiment 50. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein said physicalback-connection comprises an Ethernet back-connection.

Embodiment 51. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein said radioresource manager comprises an E-UTRAN radio resource manager.

Embodiment 52. A mobile communication networking method comprising:

providing a core network including a core device and at least one staticbase station; a plurality of base stations; and a population of mobilestations communicating via antennae with the base stations;

-   -   the base stations including at least one moving base station        which communicates via antennae with the mobile stations and        includes base station functionality, a first radio manager and        mobile station functionality all co-located with said base        station functionality,    -   the base station functionality having a physical back-connection        to the first radio manager, the first radio manager having a        physical connection with said mobile station functionality, the        mobile station functionality communicating via antennae with at        least one selectable static base station,    -   wherein said first radio manager comprises a radio resource        manager; and functionality for receiving information from, and        sending information to, other radio managers, respectively        co-located with other moving base stations; and

using said information to determine whether to reject at least onemobile station seeking to be served by an individual base stationassociated with said first radio manager.

Embodiment 53. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein users areshown a good location for Quality Grade Result (QGR).

Embodiment 54. A system according to embodiment 53 wherein statisticalmeasurements of a co-located mobile station (MS) in each at least onerelay are attached to location results of the relay and wherein saidsystem includes at least one relay radio manager (rRM) having afunctionality that computes and indicates to the user locations withgood QGC (quality grade control).

Embodiment 55. A system according to embodiment 48 wherein thebackhauling relay becomes aware that another relay is connected to itand finds a good place to remain.

Embodiment 56. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein saidinformation includes information regarding qualities of other basestations' respective connections back to the core network.

Embodiment 57. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein saidinformation includes information regarding quality of the first radiomanager's moving base station's connection back to the core network.

Embodiment 58. A system according to embodiment 35 wherein saidinformation includes information regarding channel qualities which saidfirst radio manager's own base station, and base stations other thansaid first radio manager's own base station, are respectively able toprovide, to mobile stations in the vicinity of the first radio manager.

Embodiment 59. A method according to embodiment 52 wherein saidinformation includes information regarding qualities of other basestations' respective connections back to the core network.

Embodiment 60. A method according to embodiment 52 wherein saidinformation includes information regarding quality of the first radiomanager's moving base station's connection back to the core network.

Embodiment 61. A method according to embodiment 52 wherein saidinformation includes information regarding channel qualities which saidfirst radio manager's own base station, and base stations other thansaid first radio manager's own base station, are respectively able toprovide, to mobile stations in the vicinity of the first radio manager.

Embodiment 62. Combinations of embodiments with other embodiments.

Embodiment 63. A mobile communication network system operative inconjunction with a network including a core device, a plurality of basestations including at least one static base station, and a population ofmobile stations communicating via antennae with at least one of the basestations, the system comprising:

at least one moving base station included in said plurality of basestations which communicates via antennae with the mobile stations andincludes base station functionality, a first radio manager and mobilestation functionality all co-located with the base stationfunctionality,

the base station functionality having a physical back-connection to thefirst radio manager, the first radio manager having a physicalconnection with the mobile station functionality, the mobile stationfunctionality communicating via antennae with at least one selectablebase station,

wherein the first radio manager comprises:

-   -   a radio resource manager; and    -   functionality for receiving information from, and for sending        information to, other radio managers, respectively co-located        with other moving base stations, and for using the information        to determine whether to reject at least one mobile station        seeking to he served by an individual base station associated        with the individual co-located radio manager.

Embodiment 64. A mobile communication network system operative inconjunction with a network including a core device, a plurality of basestations including at least one static base station, and a population ofmobile stations communicating via antennae with at least one of the basestations, the system comprising:

at least one moving base station included in said plurality of basestations which communicates via antennae with the mobile stations andincludes base station functionality, a first radio manager and mobilestation functionality all co-located with the base stationfunctionality, the base station functionality having a physicalback-connection to the first radio manager, the first radio managerhaving a physical connection with the mobile station functionality, themobile station functionality communicating via antennae with at leastone selectable base station,

wherein the first radio manager comprises:

-   -   a radio resource manager; and    -   functionality for receiving information from, and sending        information to, other radio managers, respectively co-located        with other moving base stations,

wherein at least one radio manager is operative to compute, for at leastone individual moving base station, route comparison informationincluding a plurality of routes of base stations via which theindividual moving base station can communicate with the core network andat least one parameter characterizing the relative quality of each ofsaid routes and wherein said individual moving base station connects toa serving base station selected at least partly based on informationindicative of said route comparison information,

and wherein the plurality of routes of base stations via which theindividual moving base station can communicate with the core networkincludes at least one route characterized by multi-hop backhauling.

Embodiment 65. A system according to embodiment 63 wherein said mobilestation seeking to be served by said individual base station includes amobile station currently being served by said individual base station.

Embodiment 66. A system according to embodiment 63 wherein saidindividual base station is co-located with the individual co-locatedradio manager.

Embodiment 67. A system according to embodiment 63 wherein saidindividual base station is served by the individual co-located radiomanager.

Embodiment 68. A system according to embodiment 63 wherein saidfunctionality is also operative to determine a base station other thansaid individual base station, which is more suitable than saidindividual base station to serve said mobile station seeking to beserved.

Embodiment 69. A system according to embodiment 63 wherein at least oneradio manager is operative to compute, for at least one individualmoving base station, route comparison information including a pluralityof routes of base stations via which the individual moving base stationcan communicate with the core network and at least one parametercharacterizing the relative quality of each of said routes and whereinsaid individual moving base station connects to a serving base stationselected at least partly based on information indicative of said routecomparison information.

Embodiment 70. A system according to embodiment 64 wherein each saidother radio manager is operative to compute, for at least one individualmobile station, route comparison information including a plurality ofroutes of base stations via which the individual mobile station cancommunicate with the core network and at least one parametercharacterizing the relative quality of each of said routes and tocommunicate to said individual mobile station information indicative ofsaid route comparison information and wherein said individual mobilestation is operative to select a base station to be connected to, atleast partly based on said information indicative of said routecomparison information.

Embodiment 71. A system according to embodiment 64 wherein the radiomanager computes said route comparison information for an individualmoving base station served thereby whose mobile station functionality iscommunicating in idle mode, via antenna, with at least one selectablebase station.

Embodiment 72. A system according to embodiment 64 wherein the radiomanager computes said route comparison information for a moving basestation co-located therewith whose mobile station functionality iscommunicating in active mode, via antenna, with at least one selectablebase station.

Embodiment 73. A system according to embodiment 71 and wherein theindividual moving base station camps on said serving base stationselected at least partly based on said information indicative of saidroute comparison information.

Embodiment 74. A system according to embodiment 72 and wherein theindividual moving base station is handed over to said serving basestation selected at least partly based on said information indicative ofsaid route comparison information.

Embodiment 75. A system according to embodiment 63 and also comprising acore device and wherein the core device allocates constant communicationsession bandwidth between each mobile station functionality and the basestation with which it is communicating so as to maintain a constantactive mode of communication between each mobile station functionalityand the base station.

Embodiment 76. A system according to embodiment 64 and also comprising acore device and wherein the core device allocates constant communicationsession bandwidth between each mobile station functionality and the basestation with which it is communicating so as to maintain a constantactive mode of communication between each mobile station functionalityand the base station.

Embodiment 77. A mobile communication network system serving apopulation of mobile stations communicating via antennae with basestations, the system including:

a plurality of base stations including at least one static base stationand at least one moving base station which communicates via antennaewith the mobile stations and includes base station functionality, afirst radio manager and mobile station functionality all co-located withthe base station functionality, the base station functionality having aphysical back-connection to the first radio manager, the first radiomanager having a physical connection with the mobile stationfunctionality, the mobile station functionality communicating viaantennae with at least one selectable base station; and

a core device which allocates constant communication session trafficbetween each mobile station functionality and the base station withwhich it is communicating so as to maintain a constant active mode ofcommunication between each mobile station functionality and the basestation.

Embodiment 78. A system according to embodiment 56 wherein said otherbase stations include all base stations along a route connecting saidmoving base station and said core, via which route said core serves saidmoving base station.

Embodiment 79. A system according to embodiment 77 wherein said otherbase stations include all base stations along a route connecting saidmoving base station and said core, via which route said core serves saidmoving base station.

Embodiment 80. A system according to embodiment 64 wherein saidinformation includes information regarding channel qualities which saidfirst radio manager's own base station, and base stations other thansaid first radio manager's own base station, are respectively able toprovide, to mobile stations in the vicinity of the first radio manager.

Embodiment 81. A system according to embodiment 63 wherein saidfunctionality is operative for detecting the quality of each end-usersection and the quality of each backhauling section according to mobilestations' and mobile station functionalities' measurements and forcombining said qualities into quality grade results for a current routeand for alternative routes for at least one mobile station.

Embodiment 82. A system according to embodiment 81 and wherein saidquality grade results are broadcast to at least one mobile station.

Embodiment 83. A system according to embodiment 81 wherein at least onehandover decision, to hand over a node from one base station to another,is made by taking into account, for at least one alternative route, thequality grade result of access and backhauling sections.

Embodiment 84. A system according to embodiment 81 wherein at least onecell admission decision is made by taking into account, for at least onealternative route, the quality grade result of access and backhaulingsections.

Embodiment 85. A system according to embodiment 81 wherein at least onecell reselection decision is made by taking into account, for at leastone alternative route, the quality grade result of access andbackhauling sections.

Embodiment 86. A system according to embodiment 81 wherein said mobilestations' and mobile station functionalities' measurements include RSRP.

Embodiment 87. A system according to embodiment 81 wherein said mobilestations' and mobile station functionalities' measurements include RSRI.

Embodiment 88. A system according to embodiment 81 wherein said mobilestations' and mobile station functionalities' measurements include RSRQ.

Embodiment 89. A system according to embodiment 63 wherein each radiomanager uses measurements from at least one other radio manager over asub-network, and at least one of RSRP, RSRI and RSRQ measurements fromat least one of its co-located mobile station functionality and a mobilestation, to build a radio resource measurements table.

Embodiment 90. A system according to embodiment 89 wherein at least oneof said measurements is distributed by broadcast message type to allradio managers.

Embodiment 91. A system according to embodiment 81 wherein the QualityGrade Result (QGR) of all alternative routes is distributed to mobilestations using a broadcast message.

Embodiment 92. A system according to embodiment 91 wherein the broadcastmessage relating to each individual base station is sent to all mobilestations camping on said individual base station.

Embodiment 93. A system according to embodiment 64 wherein saidinformation includes information regarding qualities of other basestations' respective connections back to the core network.

Embodiment 94. A system according to embodiment 63 wherein saidinformation is transmitted between “colleague” radio managers via radio.

Embodiment 95. A system according to embodiment 63 wherein at least oneradio manager “masquerades” as a base station by sending a request to amobile station functionality to execute an NMR (Network MeasurementReport) measurement.

Embodiment 96. A system according to embodiment 63 wherein saidinformation includes information regarding quality which the first radiomanager's mobile station functionality would be served by each basestation capable of serving the first radio manager's mobile stationfunctionality.

Embodiment 97. Combinations of a subset of features of certainembodiments with a subset of features of other embodiments.

Embodiment 98. A system according to embodiment 1 and wherein said radiomanager includes an in-band multi-hop backhauling functionality.

Embodiment 99. A system according to embodiment 98 wherein said in-handmulti-hop backhauling functionality is operative to enhance immunity dueto interference by creating new alternative routes to replace routesthat are dropped due to interference, wherein each new alternative routeincludes a section between the end-user mobile station and mobile relayit is connected to, and a backhauling section, including the linksbetween the mobile relays that take part as nodes in the route.

Embodiment 100. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein backhaulingconnectivity is provided by utilizing multi-hop routes between saidmoving relays.

Embodiment 101. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein backhaulingof said moving relays comprises in-band multi-hop backhauling.

Embodiment 102. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein for at leastone mobile station functionality in at least one individual movingrelay, said unit which has base station functionality comprises an LTEbase station functionality.

Embodiment 103. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein for at leastone mobile station functionality in at least one individual movingrelay, said unit which has base station functionality comprises a 2Gbase station functionality.

Embodiment 104. A system according to embodiment 1 wherein for at leastone mobile station functionality in at least one individual movingrelay, said unit which has base station functionality comprises a 3Gbase station functionality.

A relay node for use in the context of the present application,including a base station functionality, mobile station functionality andresource relay manager, may be constructed as per the teachings of theabove-referenced PCT publication other than as shown and describedherein.

Certain embodiments of the present invention can be utilized inter aliain scenarios incorporating a mobile relay which may be built based onbase station functionality (TeNB), mobile station functionality (TUE ortUE) and relay radio/resource manager (rRM) functionality as describedin PCT Application No. PCT/IL2011/000096 entitled “Cellularcommunication system with moving base stations and methods and apparatususeful in conjunction therewith” filed on Jan. 27, 2011 and published asWO/2011/092698 on 4 Aug. 2011.

A Moving Cellular Communication System Operative in an Emergency Mode isnow described, with reference to FIGS. 2a -7.

Architecture and methods operative to transfer control and trafficinformation between each of many mobile stations, through anyhierarchical cellular topology to any destination, be it a mobilestation in the same network or any destination outside the network, arenow described. A solution for the 4G 3GPP cellular network, also knownas LTE (Long Term Evolution), is presented by way of example, but otherapplications of the invention include hierarchical cellular networkswhich are not LTE.

For example, the architecture and methods described herein may beapplied to 3GPP 3G networks (UMTS, WCDMA, HSPA), 2G (GSM, CDMA), WiMAXor WiFi standards. For example, in 3G the core elements may comprise RNCwhich is partly parallel in its function to LTE MME, and/or GGSN/SGSNwhich is partly parallel in its function to LTE P/S-GW. IP-connectivityGW may comprise an LTE P-Gateway, S-Gateway, P/S-Gateway, orAccess-Gateway; a GGSN or SGSN in 3G, an ASN-Gateway or CSN in WiMAX.The mobility management entity may comprise an LTE MME, a 3G RNC, or aWiMAX ASN.

In existing LTE cellular networks each mobile station is identified byits own IP. Typically, a packet that is addressed to a mobile station isrouted through an IP connectivity gateway termed in LTE PS-GW using e.g.a GTP tunnel to the base station. From there, the packet may be sentover the air-interface (wirelessly) to the mobile station.

In a hierarchical cellular network, as known in the art e.g. asdescribed herein and in the references cited herein, and in [3GPP TS36.806] the packet is typically routed through several tunnels and on tothe destination mobile station.

A mobile moving relay is operative for providing IP-based connectivityand optionally services in case of an emergency event, and also handingresponsibility for such services back to the original performer of theseIP-based connectivity and optionally services e.g. a stationary cellularcore. An example of an emergency event might be a disconnection from thecore network.

FIG. 2a is an example of an uplink communication message [107] (e.g. IPpacket), sent by a mobile station [100] and received by the relay's basestation functionality [105], which travels to a stationary core IPconnectivity gateway/s [109] and through stationary base station(BS/SeNB) [101] when operating in normal operational mode. The message[107] is sent over a tunnel [102] from the relay resource manager (rRM)[106] to the IP-connectivity gateway/s [109].

FIG. 2b is an example of a downlink communication message [117] goingfrom the stationary core IP connectivity gateway/s [119] throughstationary base station [111] and relay's mobile station functionality(rMS/TUE) [114] to the relay resource manager (rRM) [116]. From there itis forwarded [118] to the relay's base station functionality (rBS/TeNB)[115] to be sent to the destined mobile station [100]; when operating innormal operational mode. The message [117] is sent over a tunnel [112]from the IP connectivity gateway/s [119] to the relay resource manager(rRM) [116].

Normally, in LTE cellular networks when a mobile station connects to thecore network, the mobile station gets a default bearer and an IP addressassignment. When a mobile station requests a new service, the mobilestation gets an assignment of another, dedicated bearer. Each assignedbearer typically has specified QoS (Quality of Service) rules such asbut not limited to some or all of maximal delay, packet loss rate, GBRand queuing priority. The bearers are typically mapped to tunnels whereevery user packet that flows in the cellular network from the mobilestation to the core and from the core to the mobile station is typicallymapped into a unique tunnel being scheduled by using a tunnels-bearerassignment. In order to reflect bearer requests of the mobile station,the mobile station functionality (rMS) of the moving relay typicallygets (or is provided by) bearer assignments that correspond (e.g. aresame or higher in their performance and requirements) to the bearerassignments of the moving relay's connected mobile station. Typically,the backhauling link of the relay has similar or higher bearer/tunnelrequirement than the bearers to which it is to relay/transfer.

FIG. 3a is an example of two mobile stations [137], [141] that connectto a moving relay using the moving relay's base station functionality[136], and the relay's mobile station functionality [142] uses itsassigned tunnel [132] in order to reflect, e.g. as per the previousparagraph, its relay's base station functionality's [136] anchoredmobile stations [137,141] tunnels [140,135]; in normal mode operation.

FIG. 3b is another example of normal mode of operation for multi-hoprelaying scenario, where the two relays' base station functionalities[158,156] and the static base station [167] comprises a tunneltermination point; the corresponding tunnels are [160,153,154]. Thesetunnels typically transfer in the upstream direction mobile station[150] data that is sent to the relay's base station functionality [158]over the air-interface [162] to the core IP connectivity gateway/s. Inthe downstream these tunnels typically transfer data from the IPConnectivity gateway/s [166] to the relay's base station functionality[158] to be sent over the air interface [162] to the mobile station[150].

FIG. 4 is a general architecture of an emergency moving relay comprisinga mobile station functionality [172], base station functionality [170],a relay resource manager [171] and simulated core [177] (termed also asrelay resource manager (rRM) Stand-Alone Subsystem) having simulatedcore network entities [173,174,175] interfaced to the virtual coresubsystem [176] of the relay resource manager (rRM) [171]. The simulatedcore is used in order to enable the relay to operate in case of anemergency. The simulated network core comprising a IP connectivitygateway [175] (corresponds e.g. to P/S-GW entity at the core in LTE), amobility management function (e.g. MME in LTE) [173] and anidentification user data information storage and authentication function(e.g. home subscriber server—HSS in LTE) [174] that e.g. stores andshares with the mobility management entity subscriber's information.

FIG. 5a is an example of an emergency moving relay operating inemergency mode. The hackhauling radio link [180] between the movingrelay and the static base station [189] was disconnected; as a resultthe local relay radio manager (rRM) [193] addresses communication databeing designated to mobile stations [185,191] that are under the localrelay radio manager's sub tree using the simulated network e.g. StandAlone Subsystem as described herein.

The tunnel that was originally to be terminated at the core networkP/S-GW [187,188] (the tunnel that was connecting the static network coreP/S-GW [187],[188] to the relay's base station functionality (rBS)[196], whose tunnel header destination address was P/S-GW [187,188]) isterminated in the local simulated P/S-GW [183], e.g. its tunnel headerdestination address is set to P/S-GW[183]).

FIG. 5c is an example of communication in an emergency mode in amulti-hop scenario. The tunnel that was originally to be terminated atthe core network P/S-GW [187,188] is now terminated by the root of thedisconnected moving relay sub-tree that simulates the core network[224,225,226]. The second moving relay [239,240,241] and the anchoredmobile stations [239,234,242] are unaware of the emergency event.

FIG. 5b is an example of an undo emergency event. This undo emergencyevent may for example be initiated as a result of a connection beingmade between the relay mobile station functionality and one of: a staticbase station connected to static core or other relay base stationfunctionality having active simulated core (for example, a mobilestation functionality is now able to connect to the stationary core).The disconnected radio link [216] is restored and the relay radiomanager [211] relays communication data back to the core network[200,201,202].

On each relay node, the sibling nodes are stored e.g. in a local tablein the Routing agent. Each mobile station [229, 234, 242] associates itsdata streams with a bearer. Each bearer is typically associated with atraffic filter template (TFT) that includes the bearer's source address,designated node address and an optional addition of source, destinationport and protocol. Typically, each bearer is uniquely marked with aTunnel ID (TID). In the example illustrated in FIG. 5 c, mobile station[242] connects to mobile station [229] e.g. using a voice over IP (VoIP)application. On a hop by hop basis, each relay node inspects the bearerestablishing procedure and is operative to store a sibling node and itsassociated TID. In case of a disconnection [236] from the core[200,201,202] the relay resource manager (rRM) [231] functionality inthe relay which resides at the head of the tree (i.e. but not limited tothe relay closest to the disconnected core) is operative to locallyroute communication between designated nodes that are in thedisconnected nodes' cluster or optionally additionally to provideservices to mobile station/s in its topology tree. So, in theillustrated example, mobile station [229, 234, 242] are camped to thedisconnected nodes' cluster (group of relays that are inter-connected)of relay nodes [RN1,RN2]. The relay resource manager (rRM) [231]functionality of RN1 (RN=RELAY NODE=RELAY) which resides at the top ofthe tree routes the communication between mobile station [229] andmobile station [242]. Furthermore, because the communication is based onGPRS tunneling, the relay resource manager (rRM) [231] can alter eachtunnel, so that it can enable to communicate with the source and thedestination of the tunnel, e.g. by creating an alternative using a GTP-Cstandard [e.g. 3GPP TS 29.274] tunnel by sending a create packet dataprotocol (PDP) context, Create Bearer Request to its collocated core.

When an undo emergency event is received, the relay resource manager(rRM) [231] can use the same mechanism. So, the relay resource manager(rRM) may be operative for creating an alternative using a GTP-Cstandard [e.g. 3GPP TS 29.274] tunnel by sending a create packet dataprotocol (PDP) context,) to alter the local (emergency-mode) tunnels tothe original tunnels (normal-mode).

FIG. 6 is a diagram of relay resource manager (rRM) [1301], mobilestation functionality (tUE) [1302] and Base station functionality (TeNb)[1303] units communicating through the management layer [1302] of therelay resource manager (rRM) [1301], in case the communication is in anormal mode. User and control plane data [1313] goes through mobilestation functionality (tUE) [1302] and Base station functionality (TeNb)[1303]. When there is an emergency event, two options may beimplemented: (1) only the relay at the root (head) of the tree changesto emergency mode, all other relays retain their normal operating mode;and/or (2) all relays in the topology tree change to emergency mode,thereafter optionally connections are made between these relays in orderto form one unified tree. When the relay is in emergency mode, the Userand control data [1312] go through teNB[1303] rRMs management layer[1302] and the local EPC [1311] part of the relay resource manager (rRM)[1301].

An emergency event may for example comprise disconnection between themobile station functionality and its serving base station. An emergencyevent may be designated when an activity in the system continues for agiven amount of time, for example a disconnection from a stationary corewhich does not re-connect within a predetermined short time period. Anemergency event may also be designated manually when an administratorraises an emergency event.

The Network event listener [1304], sniffs the standard interfaces (e.g.S1) and notifies of changes (e.g. a disconnection from the core,attachment of a user, creation of a bearer) in the network to theNetwork event listener's subscribers, e.g. in the illustrated example,Relay Resource Manager [1303] and the Network Event Handler [1305]. TheNetwork Event Handler is typically responsible for synchronization ofthe local EPC core (e.g. Stand-Alone Subsystem) to the last known stateof the stationary core in case of an emergency event, andsynchronization of the stationary core state to the state of the localEPC core (Stand-Alone Subsystem) in case of an undo emergency event. Itmay do so, in the event of emergency, by:

a. sending, for each disconnected nodes a “create packet data protocol(PDP)” context request [1320] (e.g. GTP-C message, 3GPP TS 29.274 7.2.1)to the local simulated mobility management entity (MME) [1310] in caseof emergency and

b. enabling an alternate tunnel by sending a modify bearer request(GTP-C message, 3GPP TS 29.274 7.2.7) [1319] for each disconnectedbearer to the local simulated P/S-GW [1308] in case of emergency.

In case of an undo emergency mode it may do the same, mutatis mutandis,e.g. for each reconnected node, send create context request to thestationary or remote-simulated network mobility management entity (MME)and send modify bearer request for each reconnected tunnel to thestationary or remote-simulated network P/S-GW.

In case of an emergency event the relay located at the root (head) ofthe topology tree (e.g. the relay which first caught the event or thenode closest to the core) enables the local EPC core (simulated corenetwork/Stand-alone subsystem) [1311] and functionally replaces thestationary or remote-simulated core [FIG. 5 c, 220, 221 ,222]. All otherrelay nodes in the topology tree and their connected mobile stations areseamless to the disconnection (e.g. if no connection is to beestablished with any entity outside the topology tree). Thedisconnection may also be indicated by informing idle mode mobilestations (MSs) e.g. by changing a public land mobile network (PLMN) IDto another public land mobile network (PLMN) and broadcasting the ID toall Base station functionalities (TeNb) in the cluster. The public landmobile network (PLMN) may also indicate relevant information such as theID of the head relay and the number relay in the cluster. It isappreciated that the term EPC refers to an all-IP mobile core networkfor LTE communication.

FIG. 7 is a simplified block diagram of an example architecture for therelay resource manager (rRM) of FIGS. 2a -6. The terms “stand-alonesubsystem”, “simulated stationary network”, “core functionality”,mini-core and simulated core are used herein interchangeably.

As shown, the relay resource manager comprises some or all of: aTunneling subsystem [713], Radio Resource subsystem [714] Virtual coresubsystem [715] and Routing and QoS Subsystem [728], suitably couplede.g. as shown.

The tunneling subsystem is operative for encapsulating andde-capsulating of user plane and control plane payloads over user planebearers according to different priorities and sending the de-capsulateduser plane and control plane payloads to entities in the core such asbut not limited to any of: mobility management entity e.g. MME,gateways, and application servers. The tunneling subsystem typicallyinterfaces [703, 704] with the mobile station functionality rUE [741]e.g. over a standard IP stack.

The Virtual core subsystem typically constitutes the gateway between thecore (stationary) on the one hand, and various resource managementsubsystems and the base station functionality rBS [740] on the otherhand. The Virtual core subsystem may communicate with the base stationfunctionality rBS [740] or core (of the static network) e.g. usingstandard S1-MME [702,708b,709,710] and S1-U [701,707b,709,710] orproprietary management and control (M&C) over IP interface[701,707b,709,710] with the base station functionality rBS [740] andremote core. The Virtual core subsystem may send all or any of theS1-MME, S1-U, M&C messages to the core optionally through the TunnelingSubsystem [713].

The Encapsulation manager function of the Virtual core subsystem [715]implements a Network event listener e.g. as illustrated in FIG. 6 atreference numeral 1304 and a Network event handler e.g. as illustratedin FIG. 6 at reference numeral [1305]. The handler may use deep packetinspection techniques in order to maintain suitable statistics (such asbut not limited to any or all of: all active bearers including sourceand destination addresses, ports, and priorities) The handler may alsoraise events (for example in case of a disconnection from the core). Theencapsulation manager is also operative for handling (send/receive)different messages that are sent/received [712] by the Routing and QoSSubsystem to/from the core being used, for example messages to create ordelete a bearer.

In addition, the Encapsulation manager function of the Virtual coresubsystem [715] may optionally include functionality for exchanginginformation between the relay resource manager rRM that the Virtual coresubsystem resides within [742] and: (1) another relay resource managerlocated inside another relay, and/or (2) Relay/s Server located as partof the static network. The Virtual S-GW [722] and Virtual MME [723] mayhave corresponding standard S-GW and MME interfaces with the basestation functionality rBS [740] accordingly. If a remote core is used bythe relay, the Virtual S-GW [722] and Virtual MME [723] may emulatethese core functions as proxies so that the base station functionalityrBS [740] works smoothly and seamlessly despite remoteness of the core.

The Routing & QoS subsystem [728] may comprise some or all of a routingagent [727], Load manager [729] and QoS Agent [730]. Routing & QoSsubsystem [728] communicates with the mobile station functionality (rMS)[741] e.g. using AT Commands or any suitable proprietary interface[705]. Routing & QoS subsystem [728] communicates with the base stationfunctionality rBS e.g. using the M&C interface [735]. Using the M&Cinterface the Routing and QOS subsystem may command a change in variousparameters in the base station functionality rBS [740] such as PLMN,and/or may command the base station functionality rBS [740] to initiatea handover mechanism of an attached mobile station. Using the mobilestation functionality (rMS) [741] interface [705] the Routing and QoSsubsystem [728] may receive radio measurements of served base stationsor neighboring base stations, and may send fake radio measurements tothe mobile station functionality (rMS) [741] that the mobile stationfunctionality may send to its serving base station in order to intervenewith the handover mechanism. Routing and QoS subsystem [728] mayregister to specific access point names (APN) and/or create additionalbearers.

The Load manager [729] is operative for balancing traffic loads betweendifferent relays. Load manager [729] may perform actions such as but notlimited to: indicating other relay resource manager elements such as butnot limited to any or all of: Radio Resource Subsystem [714], Routingagent [727], QoS agent [730] or Encapsulation manager (block of theVirtual Core Subsystem [715]) or mobile station functionality [741] orbase station functionality rBS [740] or mobility management entity MMEof remote core (of the static network or) that which current siteloaded. Load manager [729] may also command the routing agent to try tochange topology in order to gain more bandwidth (at the backhaulinglink), or to request that additional bandwidth be assigned to the mobilestation functionality (rMS) for the backhauling link from the mobilitymanagement entity MME of remote core.

The QOS agent [730] is operative for creating bearers according to thecurrent attached mobile stations and their bandwidth requests in casethere is a need for a additional bearer due to the multi-hop mechanism.

The Radio Resource Subsystem [714] may comprise some or all of: Radioresource manager [724], Radio Quality and Arena Reporter [725] and RadioResource Controller [726]. The radio resource subsystem [714] isoperative for reducing interference between: (1) relay's access linkswhich may be sent and received by the base station functionality rBS[740]) and relay's backhauling links which may be sent and received bythe rUE (rMS) [740]; (2) relay's access links and other relays' accesslinks; and (3) relay backhauling links and other relays' backhaulinglinks. The Radio resource controller [726] is operative for controllingdifferent radio resources of the mobile station functionality rUE [741]and of base station functionality rBS [740] e.g some or all of: lowerbase station functionality transmission power, blanking particular basestation functionality resource blocks/subframe/s, request for mobilestation functionality uplink grant, changing center frequency, changingbandwidth.

The Radio Quality and Arena Reporter [725] may be operative forgathering a radio measurement report indicating received power reportsof the base station functionality rBS [740] and base stationfunctionality rBS's neighboring base stations from the connected mobilestations reporting to the base station functionality rBS [740] and fromthe mobile station functionality rUE [741]. The radio measurement reportmay indicate one or more of: the mobile station functionality's servingbase station's radio measurements; and/or radio measurements of mobilestation functionality rUE [741]'s active set, e.g. list of neighboringbase stations that mobile station functionality rUE [741] is operativeto measure periodically. The Radio Resource Subsystem sends themeasurement report through the interface to the Virtual Core subsystem[742], typically using the encapsulation manager, to radio resourcesubsystems of other relays' relay resource managers as a radio qualityreport. This radio quality report may be relevant for distributed radioresource management mechanisms and/or for decisions relevant to therouting agent.

The radio resource manager may receive radio quality reports from theradio resource manager's local Radio quality and arena reporter [725]and from neighboring relays' Radio quality and arena reporters. Theradio resource manager may compute the level of interference between thevarious stations, e.g. of relays and optionally of the static network.The radio resource manager may also provide radio resource configurationrecommendations to its local radio resource controller [726] and/or toits neighboring relays' radio resource controller/s through interface[742] and using the encapsulation manager of the Virtual core subsystem[715].

The Radio resource manager [714] can optionally communicate in interface[706] e.g. using AT Commands or other proprietary protocol with themobile station functionality rUE [741]. The Radio resource manager canfurther optionally communicate in interface [734] e.g. using M&Cprotocol with the base station functionality rBS [740]. The Radioresource manager can further optionally communicate with other relays'radio resource subsystems through interface [742] e.g. using the virtualcore subsystem [715] Encapsulation manager.

The Stand-alone subsystem [716], also termed herein the Simulated corenetwork, is responsible for core packet switching & handling and for IPservices. The Stand-alone subsystem [716] may serve as a local core alsotermed herein a mini-core since it may have less functionality than thestatic core does. Stand-alone subsystem [716] may also be operative forgiving local services, such as local storage of maps and/or being avoice call server or/and SIP server and/or video server and/or gamingserver, e.g. through the IP services function [719], in the event ofhandoff e.g. when the relay disconnects from the remote core (eitherstatic or part of other relay rRM) from the serving core. If suchhandoff occurs, the virtual core subsystem [715] may recreate allrelevant PDP contexts and bearers according to the information stored onthe virtual core subsystem's [715] encapsulation manager and switch thepacket data to the local stand-alone subsystem [716]. When the localStand-alone subsystem is used as an active core, and there is a need ina given situation, to re-use the remote core instead of the local core,a reverse process performed.

Tunneling Subsystem [713], Routing & QoS Subsystem [728] and RadioResource Subsystem [714] are optional subsystems of the relay resourcemanager (rRM). All or any subset of these subsystems can be added to therelay resource manager (rRM) by need.

FIG. 8 is a simplified block diagram of a possible internal architecturefor a non-emergency relay's relay resource manager (rRM).

FIG. 9 is a simplified block diagram of a possible internal architecturefor a non-emergency relay's relay resource manager (rRM) having aninternal router service application used for multi-hop encapsulation.This router service application can be added to the emergency relay toenable it to do extended tunnels for multi-hop encapsulation.

According to certain embodiments, one mobile station is connected to acore functionality of the relay resource manager and another mobilestation is connected to the core element of the static network, andthere is a link between these cores.

If a mobile station that is attached to a stationary base station oreven a standard phone communicates with a mobile station that isattached to the core through several relays e.g. as depicted in FIG. 3b, the mobile station attached to a stationary base station may connecte.g. using conventional interfaces to the P-GW and from there by hoppingthrough [164] the static base station SeNB [167], the first relay nodeTUE[155], relay resource manager rRM [163] and base stationfunctionality TeNB [156]. The second relay's mobile stationfunctionality TUE [157], the relay resource manager rRM [159] and thebase station functionality TeNB [158] are typically able to communicatewith the mobile station [150].

Any suitable IP connectivity gateway may he used herein, not beinglimited to what is specifically shown and described herein, such as butnot limited to one of: an IP-connectivity GW in LTE; one of a P-Gateway,S-Gateway, P/S-Gateway and Access-Gateway; in 3G GGSN, an SGSN, inWiMAX, an ASN-Gateway in CSN;

Any suitable mobility management entity may be used herein, not beinglimited to what is specifically shown and described herein, such as butnot limited to one of: an LTE MME, a 3G RNC, and a WiMAX ASN.

FIG. 10 is a simplified block diagram of a possible internalarchitecture for a emergency relay's relay resource manager (rRM) [742]having an internal router service application [743] used for multi-hopencapsulation. The addition of the router service application [743] tothe rRM enables the emergency relay to do extended tunnels for multi-hopencapsulation. It should be noted that the router service application[743] can be implemented as a software application, or alternatively asa hardware router.

FIG. 11 describes an example of encapsulation delivery steps of data onthe route through relay and stand-alone relay for the stand-alone relayand relay of FIG. 5 c, some or all of which, suitably ordered e.g. asshown, may be performed according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

The width of the GPRS tunnel typically indicates that it is a tunnelinside a tunnel, e.g. as represented by a small dark-gray arrow (such asarrow 3510 in FIG. 6) inside a large, light-gray arrow (such as arrow3512 in FIG. 11). This follows a convention similar to the 3GPP relayconvention e.g. as shown in 3GPP TR 36.806's figure numbers 4.2.2-2 and4.2.3-4.

FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram explaining encapsulation delivery stepsfrom a MS to a stand alone service for multi-hop relay through relay andstand-alone relay for the stand-alone relay and relay of FIG. 5 c,according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 c, as described, illustrates an example scenario of three mobilestations, two of which use Relay1 in order to connect to the staticnetwork. FIG. 11 describes an example of encapsulation delivery stepssuitable for the scenario of FIG. 5 c.

FIG. 12 shows stages of an example encapsulation process, some or all ofwhich, suitably ordered e.g. as shown, may he performed.

Mobile station MS1 (3502) typically sends data to the Base stationfunctionality (TeNB) (3504) as IP traffic (3516). The source addresstypically comprises the IP address provided to mobile station MS1 duringits registration and the destination address may be, for example, aserver on a global network not served by the local core, e.g. Internet(3519), or other mobile station, or static station, or other server(such as but not limited to video broadcast, voice, SIP, gaming).

The Base station functionality (TeNB) (3504) typically encapsulates thedata in a GTP tunnel (3510) with the source address typically comprisingor being the address given to the Mobile station functionality (tUE)(3506) when the Mobile station functionality registered to the mobilerelay network APN and used to encapsulate Base station functionality(TeNB) (3504) communication data. The destination address is typicallythat of the gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) (3508) that was assigned to mobilestation MS1 (3502).

The data is typically sent via the LTE air interface from the Mobilestation functionality (tUE) (3506) to the stationary base station SeNB(3507).

Typically, the Stationary base station (SeNB) then encapsulates the datain another GTP tunnel (3512) with the source address typicallycomprising the IP address of the Stationary base station (SeNB) (3507).The IP address of the Stationary base station (SeNB) may be eitherstatic or dynamic and the destination address typically comprises thegateway (e.g. P/S-GW) (3508) that was assigned to the Mobile stationfunctionality (tUE) (3506).

The data is typically received by the gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) (3508) thatinitially de-capsulates the GTP tunnel from the Stationary base station(SeNB) (512). The resulted packet typically comprises a tunneled (3510)packet forwarded out to the router function (3509).

Typically, the destination address for the resulted packet is now thegateway (e.g. P/S-GW) (3508) of mobile station MS1 (3502), and therouter therefore redirects the resulted packet (3510), typically back tothe gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) (3508), e.g. the same gateway (e.g. P/S-GW)the packet came from, or another gateway (e.g. P/S-GW), if the twoassigned gateways (e.g. P/S-GWs) for Mobile station functionality (tUE)and for mobile station MS1 are different.

The gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) (3508) now typically de-capsulates the secondGTP tunnel (3510) and forwards the IP traffic (3516) to the router(3509) again (518).

The destination address may be the original destination address of thepacket (in the illustrated example a server on the Internet (3519)). Therouter (3509) may then forward the packet to the Internet server (3519).

In the reverse direction, the process again typically comprises bouncingof the packet e.g. between the gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) (3508) and therouter (3509).

A packet sourced from an Internet server (3519) and addressed to the IPaddress of mobile station MS2 (3501), may be forwarded to the router(3509) from the Internet.

The router then typically forwards it to the gateway (e.g. P/S-GW)(3508) that is presented to the network as a router. The mobilitymanagement entity that is part of the core in which the gateway (e.g.P/S-GW) or other gateway resides typically holds a list matching IPaddresses for mobile stations with the base stations that serve thesemobile stations. The gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) then typically encapsulatesthe traffic in a GTP tunnel and sends the traffic directly or via routerto the relevant mobile station. It is appreciated that gateway (e.g.P/S-GW) is merely an example and throughout, mutatis mutandis, othergateways may be employed.

In the illustrated embodiment, the record of the IP addresses matchinglist for mobile station MS1 may be the IP address of the mobile relay(the Mobile station functionality (tUE) (506) IP address). The GTPpacket (511) may then be forwarded to the router function (3509) thatmay bounce it back to the gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) (3508).

The gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) (3508) now typically receives a packet withMobile station functionality (tUE) (3506) destination address; itsmatching list record for the

Mobile station functionality (tUE) (3506) is Stationary base station(SeNB) (3507). The gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) (3508) may encapsulate thepacket again in a GTP tunnel (3512b) addressed to Stationary basestation (SeNB) (3507).

The router receiving the packet may forward it over GTP tunnel (512b) tothe Stationary base station (SeNB) (3507) which may de-capsulate thepacket and send the decapsulated packet over the air interface to Mobilestation functionality (tUE) (3506). The Mobile station functionality(tUE) (3506) typically passes the decapsulated packet on to the Basestation functionality (TeNB) (3504) that, typically, de-capsulates thesecond GTP tunnel (3511) and forwards the packet over the air interface(3515) to the packet's final destination e.g. mobile station MS2 (3501).

For the router function to operate in these scenarios and be able tocorrectly forward packets, a suitable PDN (Packet Data Network) andaddress assignment may be used:

TUEs (e.g. mobile station functionalities within relay/s) typically usespecific APN and register to separate PDN that has a specific IP addresspool (as an example (10.0.X.X).

Standard/static base stations that connect directly to core and gateway(e.g. P/S-(iW) are typically assigned addresses from a different pool(e.g. 10.1.X.X).

Standard mobile stations typically use a different APN and PDN and aretypically assigned an IP address from a different pool (e.g. 85.X.X.X).

The following configuration now allows convenient configuration of therouter function to operate correctly and forward packets as needed. Thebouncing back of functions to the gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) may be performedby the router itself or performed internally in the gateway (e.g.P/S-GW) as the gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) recognizes the destination IPaddress as its own address (this may be gateway (e.g. P/S-GW)implementation dependent).

The above-described scheme may be extended to cover scenarios where themobile station is connected to the core network via multiple relays(e.g. multi-hop cellular network).

FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram explaining an example encapsulationdelivery method for multi-hop relay applications. The mobile stationstypically constitute or include a subnet of mobile stations; the Basestation functionality (TeNB) and reNB typically share the same subnetaddress, different from the subnet address of the stationary core whichcomprises elements: Stationary base station (SeNB) (or local rBS/TeNB)[3604], (simulated) S/P-GW[3605] and Router (service app) [3606].

From the point of view of the core, Base station functionality (TeNB) istypically addressed by using the ip address of Mobile stationfunctionality (tUE). This may be effected by using a NAT application orby sharing the same ipv6 network prefix and using a stateless addressauto-configuration in the IP address allocation of the Mobile stationfunctionality (tUE). The Router (service app) [3606] is typicallyconfigured to send packets that are addressed to the ip address (subnet)that belongs to mobile stations and relay mobile stations to the(simulated) gateway S/P-GW [3605]. The Router (service app) [3606]typically serves as the default gateway of the Stationary base station(SeNB) (or local rBS/TeNB) [3604], Server (service app) [3607] and the(simulated) S/P-GW[3605]. The Stationary base station (SeNB) and therouter typically have routable address; the router is operative tocommunicate with the Stationary base station (SeNB) without involvingthe S/P-GW.

A server typically sends payload data D1 [3608], with a header thatindicates the server as the source address and mobile station MS as thedesignated address, to the default gateway [3606]. The router sendspayload data [3610] and header [3611] on to the (simulated) gatewayS/P-GW [3605]. The (simulated) S/P-GW [3605], as part of the GPRStunneling, takes the payload data [3610] and header [611], encapsulatesthem as payload D2 [3612], adds a header [3613] which indicates the(simulated) S/P-GW[3605] as the source address and the serving basestation [3602] of the Base station functionality (TeNB) [3602] as thedestination address, and sends the playload and header to the defaultgateway [3606].

Base station functionality (TeNB)'s IP address typically belongs to theaddresses that are configured to be routed to the (simulated) S/P-GW[3605]. The router sends the payload data [3614] and header [3615] tothe (simulated) S/P-GW [3605]. Base station functionality (TeNB) istypically addressed through Mobile station functionality (tUE) so aspart of, e.g., the GPRS tunneling protocol the gateway S/P-GW typicallyadds another header H3[3617] indicating the source as gateway S/P-GW andthe destination as the serving base station of Mobile stationfunctionality (tUE) and Stationary base station (SeNB). The originalheader (H2) and data (D2) is typically loaded as a payload D3 [3618].

The gateway (e.g. P/S-GW) typically sends payload [3616] and header[3617] to the router. As the subnet of Stationary base station (SeNB)belongs to the stationary subnet the router typically sends the payload[3618] and header [3619] without involving the S/P-GW. As part of theGPRS (e.g.) tunneling protocol the Stationary base station (SeNB)typically removes the header H3 [3619] and sends payload data D3 [3620]to mobile station functionality (tUE) [3603]. Mobile stationfunctionality (tUE) sends the payload data D3, which typicallycomprises, as above, header 112 [3622] having the designated address ofBase station functionality (TeNB) [3602] and payload data D2 [3621], toBase station functionality (TeNB). Base station functionality (TeNB)receives H2[3622] and D2 [3621] and as part of the GPRS protocol removesthe header H2[3622] and sends the payload data D2[3621] to mobilestation MS[3501]. Mobile station MS [3501] receives payload data whichas above, typically includes the original header H1[3624] and payloaddata D1 [3623] that was originally sent from the Server H1[3609] andD1[3608]. In the other direction, the process is similar just inreverse.

It is appreciated that terminology such as “mandatory”, “required”,“need” and “must” refer to implementation choices made within thecontext of a particular implementation or application describedherewithin for clarity and are not intended to be limiting since in analternative implantation, the same elements might be defined as notmandatory and not required or might even he eliminated altogether.

It is appreciated that software components of the present inventionincluding programs and data may, if desired, be implemented in ROM (readonly memory) form including CD-ROMs, EPROMs and EEPROMs, or may bestored in any other suitable typically non-transitory computer-readablemedium such as but not limited to disks of various kinds, cards ofvarious kinds and RAMs. Components described herein as software may,alternatively, be implemented wholly or partly in hardware, if desired,using conventional techniques. Conversely, components described hereinas hardware may, alternatively, be implemented wholly or partly insoftware, if desired, using conventional techniques.

Included in the scope of the present invention, inter alia, areelectromagnetic signals carrying computer-readable instructions forperforming any or all of the steps of any of the methods shown anddescribed herein, in any suitable order; machine-readable instructionsfor performing any or all of the steps of any of the methods shown anddescribed herein, in any suitable order; program storage devicesreadable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructionsexecutable by the machine to perform any or all of the steps of any ofthe methods shown and described herein, in any suitable order; acomputer program product comprising a computer useable medium havingcomputer readable program code, such as executable code, having embodiedtherein, and/or including computer readable program code for performing,any or all of the steps of any of the methods shown and describedherein, in any suitable order; any technical effects brought about byany or all of the steps of any of the methods shown and describedherein, when performed in any suitable order; any suitable apparatus ordevice or combination of such, programmed to perform, alone or incombination, any or all of the steps of any of the methods shown anddescribed herein, in any suitable order; electronic devices eachincluding a processor and a cooperating input device and/or outputdevice and operative to perform in software any steps shown anddescribed herein; information storage devices or physical records, suchas disks or hard drives, causing a computer or other device to beconfigured so as to carry out any or all of the steps of any of themethods shown and described herein, in any suitable order; a programpre-stored e.g. in memory or on an information network such as theInternet, before or after being downloaded, which embodies any or all ofthe steps of any of the methods shown and described herein, in anysuitable order, and the method of uploading or downloading such, and asystem including server/s and/or client/s for using such; and hardwarewhich performs any or all of the steps of any of the methods shown anddescribed herein, in any suitable order, either alone or in conjunctionwith software. Any computer-readable or machine-readable media describedherein is intended to include non-transitory computer- ormachine-readable media.

Any computations or other forms of analysis described herein may beperformed by a suitable computerized method. Any step described hereinmay be computer-implemented. The invention shown and described hereinmay include (a) using a computerized method to identify a solution toany of the problems or for any of the objectives described herein, thesolution optionally include at least one of a decision, an action, aproduct, a service or any other information described herein thatimpacts, in a positive manner, a problem or objectives described herein;and (b) outputting the solution.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to structures andfunctions specifically described herein and is also intended to includedevices which have the capacity to yield a structure, or perform afunction, described herein, such that even though users of the devicemay not use the capacity, they are, if they so desire, able to modifythe device to obtain the structure or function.

Features of the present invention which are described in the context ofseparate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a singleembodiment.

For example, a system embodiment is intended to include a correspondingprocess embodiment. Also, each system embodiment is intended to includea server-centered “view” or client centered “view”, or “view” from anyother node of the system, of the entire functionality of the system,computer-readable medium, apparatus, including only thosefunctionalities performed at that server or client or node.

Conversely, features of the invention, including method steps, which aredescribed for brevity in the context of a single embodiment or in acertain order may be provided separately or in any suitablesubcombination or in a different order. “e.g.” is used herein in thesense of a specific example which is not intended to be limiting.Devices, apparatus or systems shown coupled in any of the drawings mayin fact be integrated into a single platform in certain embodiments ormay be coupled via any appropriate wired or wireless coupling such asbut not limited to optical fiber, Ethernet, Wireless LAN, HomePNA, powerline communication, cell phone, PDA, Blackberry GPRS, Satelliteincluding GPS, or other mobile delivery. It is appreciated that in thedescription and drawings shown and described herein, functionalitiesdescribed or illustrated as systems and sub-units thereof can also beprovided as methods and steps therewithin, and functionalities describedor illustrated as methods and steps therewithin can also be provided assystems and sub-units thereof. The scale used to illustrate variouselements in the drawings is merely exemplary and/or appropriate forclarity of presentation and is not intended to be limiting.

1-88. (canceled)
 89. A non-transitory tangible computer readable mediumhaving computer readable program code embodied therein, the computerreadable program code adapted to be executed to implement an emergencycommunication method for a cellular communication system forming part ofa cellular communication network having a core element, the methodcomprising: providing at least one relay including: at least one basestation functionality serving at least one mobile station; at least onemobile station functionality; and a relay resource manager operative tomanage at least one resource pertaining to at least one of the basestation functionality and mobile station functionality, all co-located;and providing the relay resource manager with a core functionalityoperative, selectably, to take over at least one core function performedby the core element, for the at least one mobile station served by thebase station functionality.
 90. The non-transitory tangible computerreadable medium according to claim 89, wherein the core functionalitytakes over the functionality in real time and without disrupting ongoingcommunication over the network.
 91. The non-transitory tangible computerreadable medium according to claim 89, wherein the core functionality isalso operative, selectably, to hand back the at least one functionalitytaken over from the core element.
 92. The non-transitory tangiblecomputer readable medium according to claim 89, wherein the corefunctionality comprises connecting between at least a pair of mobilestations characterized in that at least one core function pertaining tothe pair which was previously performed at the core element is nowperformed by the core functionality of the relay resource manager. 93.The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according to claim89, wherein the core functionality comprises connecting between: atleast one mobile station characterized in that the core elementpreviously performed at last one core function for the mobile stationwhereas the core functionality of the relay resource manager nowperforms the core function for the mobile station; and at least oneadditional mobile station characterized in that the core element stillperforms the at last one core function for the additional mobilestation's core.
 94. The non-transitory tangible computer readable mediumaccording to claim 89, wherein the at least one core function comprisesconnecting between at least one mobile station characterized in that thecore element previously served as the mobile station's core whereas thecore functionality of the relay resource manager now serves as themobile station's at least one core function and an application serviceserver.
 95. An emergency communication method for a cellularcommunication system forming part of a cellular communication networkhaving a core element, the method comprising: providing at least onerelay including: at least one base station functionality serving atleast one mobile station; at least one mobile station functionality; anda relay resource manager operative to manage at least one resourcepertaining to at least one of the base station functionality and mobilestation functionality, all co-located; and providing the relay resourcemanager with a core functionality operative, selectably, to take over atleast one core function performed by the core element, for the at leastone mobile station served by the base station functionality.
 96. Theemergency communication method according to claim 95, wherein the corefunctionality hands back the at least one core function withoutdisrupting ongoing communication over the network.
 97. The emergencycommunication method according to claim 95, wherein the corefunctionality's take-over of the at least one core function from thecore element includes taking over at least one mobility-managementfunction in the core element's functioning.
 98. The emergencycommunication method according to claim 95, wherein the corefunctionality's take-over of the at least one core function from thecore element includes taking over at least one policy-management andcontrol function in the core element's functioning.
 99. The emergencycommunication method according to claim 95, wherein the corefunctionality's take-over of the at least one core function from thecore element includes taking over at least one QoS-management functionof the core element's functioning.
 100. A cellular communication systemforming part of a cellular communication network having a core element,the system comprising: at least one relay including: at least one basestation functionality serving at least one mobile station; at least onemobile station functionality; and a relay resource manager operative tomanage at least one resource pertaining to at least one of the basestation functionality and mobile station functionality, all co-located,wherein the relay resource manager includes a core functionalityoperative, selectably, to take over at least one core function performedby the core element, for the at least one mobile station served by thebase station functionality.
 101. The cellular communication systemaccording to claim 100, wherein the handing back is done in response tomobile station functionality connected to one of: other relay basestation functionality or static base station.
 102. The emergencycommunication method according to claim 97, wherein the at least onemobility-management function comprises at least one of: LTE MME, 3G RNCand WiMAX ASN.
 103. The non-transitory tangible computer readable mediumaccording to claim 90, wherein the core functionality's taking over isperformed by at least one of: manual operation and autonomous operation.104. The non-transitory tangible computer readable medium according toclaim 103, wherein the autonomous operation is performed by a commandoriginated by at least one of: an internal element of the relay, aninternal element of a relay other than the relay, an element of thecellular communication network and an element external to the cellularcommunication network.
 105. The non-transitory tangible computerreadable medium according to claim 91, wherein the core functionality'shanding back is performed by at least one of: manual operation andautonomous operation.
 106. The non-transitory tangible computer readablemedium according to claim 105, wherein the autonomous operation isperformed by a command originated by at least one of: an internalelement of the relay, an internal element of a relay other than therelay, an element of the cellular communication network and an elementexternal to the cellular communication network.
 107. The non-transitorytangible computer readable medium according to claim 91, wherein thecore functionality's hand-back of the at least one core function fromthe core element includes handing back at least one connectivity gatewayfunction of the core element's functioning.
 108. The non-transitorytangible computer readable medium according to claim 91, wherein thecore functionality's hand-back of the at least one core function fromthe core element includes handing back at least one security managementfunction of the core element's functioning.